Bouley
“Instead of 1 Porcini Flan, they gave us three perfectly-sized portions so that each of us could mindlessly indulge.”
“I love eggs and this one was cooked perfectly and the coconut-garlic foam it was served in was very tasty.”
“Course 2:
I remember really wanting to get the connecticut farm egg in my preparation to go to Bouley.”
Bouley
Takes Reservations: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$$$$ Price range Above $61
8 reviews
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From the impeccable service to the fantastic and generous amount of food, Bouley, why haven't I discovered your prix fixe lunch special earlier?! Whether you're you're celebrating an anniversary / birthday or if you simply want a great meal while being transported to a different era, this is the place to be.
My boyfriend and I are sharers, so between us, we had:
Course 1
– Hawaiian Hiramasa & Natucket Blue Fin with meyer lemon, passion fruit, and fresh verbena
– Malibu Sweet Urchin with green apple and caviar (additional $13)
Course 2
– Calamari with scallops, butter beans, and aged balsamic
– Porcini Flan with crab and black truffle dashi
Course 3
– New England Black Sea Bass
– Organic Long Island Duck with wild rice, wheat berries, black dates, and polenta
Course 4
– Cranberry-Hibiscus Granite
– Chilled Coconut Soup
Course 5
– Chocolate Soufflé
– Tart with Raspberry Sorbet
All the dishes were executed extremely well and kudos to the timing of each dish as the entire meal was very well paced (we didn't feel rushed nor were we waiting long for our next course).
The highlights and stars were the both our courses in course 1 and course 2. In course 1, the Hiramasa and blue fin were so fresh with a great sauce to complement; I love uni, so to have this uni dish be elevated with a mixture of foam and caviar was absolutely amazing and so worth the extra $13. In course 2, the calamari was so tender and delicate, along with the scallop, which was so buttery and soft – I wish there was another scallop than just the one! However, my boyfriend and I's ultimate favorite was the Porcini Flan as there was copious amounts of crab – the black truffle dashi though, omg, I can literally just drink that itself. For course 3, the sea bass didn't really stand out to us – it was cooked really well and had plenty of flavor from the sauce without being heavily salted, but it was just a regular fish dish to us. The Long Island duck was great, especially the skin; like others have mentioned I didn't care for the sides except for the polenta because that was really good. Lastly, dessert (courses 4 and 5) – I'm usually a dessert fan, but the two desserts in course 4 fell short to me. I wasn't a fan of the both as the ice surrounding the sorbets were bitter and provided a weird after taste. I would say these were the only downfall dishes of the afternoon. The chocolate soufflé and the tart were great though.
As for the freebies that every Yelper has mentioned – if there was plenty of food to go around / make you stuffed, Bouley amazingly gives you 2 amuse bouches – we were given a chilled tomato soup, a cracker with truffled sauce, and a small item that resembled a filled bagel. All were fantastic. Then after we finished course 5, we were given a tower of petit fours, which consisted of 10 different options. Uh, how great is this?! OH and for you bread lovers like me, omg, Bouley is carb HEAVEN. There's about 10 different types of bread, which the waiter will slice for you at your request. Trust me, you'll want to try them all – just pace yourself because you don't want to fill yourself on all the bread that you won't be able to eat the fantastic courses that await! Tip – I really loved the apricot bread and the fig bread, yum.
Guys, if you really wanna impress your girlfriend, make reservations and take her here. Girls, if your boyfriend doesn't know about Bouley, make a reservation and drag him here!
Absolutely stunning.
The food are well compliment with the garnishing a, accompaniments, and with the wine pairings.
You must try to be your own judge.
It's been a long time since I had the pleasure of dining at a classy French restaurant. I took my Dad here to celebrate his 70th Birthday. We had an amazing meal. The service was great and memories to last a lifetime. This is a special restaurant that every one needs to experience if given the opportunity. I am happy I got to enjoy this experience with my Dad.
5 stars because of the 5 course lunch tasting menu, at $55, a real deal. Highly recommended is the wine pairing, another 55 bucks. What you get is 5 plates that are of very high quality ingredients cooked perfectly and plated beautifully. There's a welcome bread plate, a little before the meals tart to wake up your palate, choice of 5 freshly beaked breads to accompany your plates, and freebie dessert tree with little chocolate goodies.
1) I started with the Malibu Sea Urchin with Oscietra Caviar and it's the best dish in the house – I can't even begin to describe the sensation when you spoon it into your mouth.
2) Next I had the New England Spanish Blue Mackerel – it was very good, subtle but you can really taste the quality and execution.My mom had the Forager's treasure of Wild Mushrooms and I thought this was the best of the 2nd course selections – just sublime
3) For my meat course, Organic Young White Fallow Venison, medium rare. I was expecting the gamy taste, even though it's tenderloin it was very mild, with the cacao and dates sauce, close to perfection. My mom chose the Fresh Dover Sole, and that was very delicate and complex. The Slow Braised Kobe Beef Cheeks tasted exactly like my wife's short rib stew, LOL.
4) Organic Malibu Apricot – seems like it's to cleanse your palate
and 5) Salad of Raspberries, Lime Merengue, Vanilla Cream and "basil cloud" and was a beautifully crafted pastry. I usually not find of dessert, but this one
I couldn't remember the wine pairings, but they were spot on – every one went very well with the courses, definitely worth $55 and can be even shared if you're not inclined to drink that much. And of course the espresso and capucchino were excellent.
Service is highly professional and attentive and cheerful without being intrusive.
The restaurant is gorgeous – elegant and comfortable. They even give the ladies a freebie bag with a pound cake inside. Nice touch.
Definitely worth several visits until you taste each plate.
Date: 12/25/2015
Occasion: Christmas Dinner
I was sooo very excited and looking forward to enjoying an amazing Christmas meal at Bouley, which I've only read rave reviews about. I thought this was going to be an unforgettable meal and make the top of my list.
Unfortunately, I've waited over 6 months to write this review because quite frankly, I didn't want to report that I had a just an okay experience and it wasn't up to what I had expected for a Michelin star restaurant, especially on Christmas night. This was going to be my first Christmas without my family and I was really looking forward to spoiling myself with a really good meal.
I consider myself a pretty open-minded person when it comes to food. Almost anything makes me happy and I don't consider myself a food snob either. However, both me and my friend were quite disappointed, not only in the service but the food. The wine was spectacular!
I had a little cold and asked for hot water/honey/lemon. I asked the waiter/waitress (don't really know which one was ours) to keep the hot water coming but throughout our entire dinner (over 2 hours) my water would go cold or I'd run out of water and I'd wait and wait to hail anyone down to get more hot water. This was really annoying because it was the one thing that I needed to soothe my throat. I totally get it. It's Christmas. Maybe they were understaffed. Sure, but I'm also spending extra money and I could have gone anywhere else.
As for the food, there was one dish in the beginning that really stood out and that we both thought was amazing, something seafood with uni. Everything else was just not at a Christmas spectacular level.
In the end, to spend that much money (over $300/person) was simply not worth it. I enjoyed the decor (wall of apples) and waiting room is super cute, very old French/Euro, and plush furniture.
Overall, this is not to say that I would not come back and give them another chance if there was an opportunity to do so but with all the choices we have in Manhattan, who knows?
An easy five stars restaurant.
One of the most elegant restaurants I have ever been to.
The food is delicious and extremely unique. The server explains in details the type of meal, its origin, the history.
They have a very unique and rare selection of wines. We had a 1959 rare French wine. We also had a wine bottle from a winery in France that produces only 200 bottles a year. So obviously this restaurant is extremely connected.
Great lunch tasting menu. So worth it! Like every other reviews say, you have like 7 plates in total. The bread cart is also amazing. The place is so lovely, so much better than Jean George! You can't go wrong with anything here. They even give us a loaf of lemon pound cake to go. The chocolate is also sooooo good
**FANTASTIC LUNCH BARGAIN IN NYC**
For $55, you will get one of the most memorable lunch
experiences in NYC.
ABOUT
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David Bouley is all about fresh and pure ingredients.
It definitely shows in his seasonal menus.
He has a "flavor forward" philosophy which means obtaining
clarity in taste and presentation so that the guest may fully realize
the essence of the products used.
AMBIANCE
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One of the best looking fine dining restaurants I've been to.
Not too modern, but fancy Euro-style.
It makes you feel welcomed, like inside a friend's fancy villa.
Expect lots of business people and rich tourists.
Great people watching.
FOOD – $55 LUNCH TASTING MENU (5 COURSES)
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ROASTED SANTA BARBARA BEETS
Terrine with organic sheeps' milk cheese, and black walnut dressing.
The beets and the cheese together were delicately tasty and beautifully done.
RATING: 5/5
FORAGER'S TREASURE OF WILD MUSHROOMS
Sweet garlic, special spices, grilled toro, and black truffle dressing.
One of my favorite courses. Complex and wonderfully fragrant
with various mushrooms. That truffle dressing is everything.
RATING: 5/5
ORGANIC LONG ISLAND DUCK
Indian Reservation wild rice, wheat berries, black dates and hand milled polenta.
The duck was cooked medium-rare and although I enjoyed it,
I wanted a side dish to complement with the duck. The black dates and polenta
did not do the trick.
RATING: 4/5
CHILLED COCONUT SOUP
Pineapple granite and amaretto ice cream.
Wow, this was probably one of the best-tasting
soups I've enjoyed in a very long time. Thank you.
RATING: 5/5
HOT VALRHONA CHOCOLATE SOUFFLÉ
White coffee cloud, coffee ice cream, chocolate mousse
Very chocolate-ly and so delicious.
RATING: 5/5
BREAD CART
Yes, there's a bread cart for your carby pleasure.
RATING: 5/5
BEVERAGE
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PROVENCE ROSE
Paired well with the food choices.
RATING: 5/5
SERVICE
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Top-notch from beginning to end.
Didn't feel rushed at all.
Gave us extra desserts on the menu and a sweet farewell gift.
Seriously, they are the best.
RATING: 5/5
Will definitely return, no doubt.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND.